Shock-absorber for vehicles.



I. G. KOEHLBR. SHOCK ABSORBER FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 13. 1909.

' Patented Dec.28, 1909. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M11 UM F. G. KOEHLER.

SHOCK ABSORBER FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED Mn 13, 1909.

944,677, Patented Dec. 28, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

To all whom it magfconcfe'rn:

Be it known thatL F ANK G. --Koe mn; a citizen of the United States" of A'in'r-zrica, residing atlthe cityof*StQLduis; in the State of Missouri have'in-vented"-certain new and useful Improvements 'SlioclrPAbsorbers ifor Vehicles, on.- ii hi'ch the following is "a full, clear, and?exactdescription,fre'ference vMy inventionrelates to a shock absorber for use in vehicles of various descriptions. but nioreparticularly intended to be utilized in motor VGh'lClSfEl-Hd' through the medium of which the transmission of shocks to the body .of the vehicle may lbe materially lessened as compared with the transmission of suchshocks to the body ofthe vehicle in instances Where the ordinary springssup: porting the -vehicle body are used alone.

F igure' I is partly aside-elevation'and partly a section of my shock absorber. Fig.

II-is atop or plan view of the connection be t tween the ma n spring sections; ,F g. HI 1s a vertical section taken centrally through the parts illustrated in Fig. "I. Fig; IV is a longitudinal section of" the lubricant conducting bolt einployed'in connection between the main spring sections.

In the accompanying drawings :-A des- X designates aptir'of laminated mm spring'sections', each ofwhich extends laterally from the ears of the ear block 2 with which the sections-hated pivotal "connection at their'niner ends, flSW'lll hereinafter more fully appear, While the outer ends of the sec -tions are pivotally and loosely connected to the vehicle frame nieniber A A by links 6.

The spring sections X are so*constructedas to provide--fortheupper lmnination '5- of eaclr'sectioii having 'connecti'o'n witli a'linli' G and being curved' doivnwardly and ou'twardly beneath the other lalninations,ias

illustrated in Fig. lfso that a portion S of the upperlamination"willalso occupy po perinitt'ed bolt. I

nnnrnn srn rns r ngrnivrr OFFICE.

depending from the spring section. Eacli sprlng arm 7 comprises a portionthat ex- I v spcnicsetnpf Letters Patent. p t nt dn 28, 1-909, Application filed May 13,1e09. Seria1No.495' 757.'

sition' -at the bottom of the spring section froni whlch there extends a spring arm i a veel 7 tends downwardly from the-lower p0P-t1OI1'5'A of the lamination 5 andthen upwardlyto g the bottom of the spring section, terminating in' -a lateral 'upjperarin 8 that'jis seated-be: l

neath the spring section and is securedthere to by suitable Ineans, sujch;asa'clip{9; The F spring arms? are of suflicient lengtli to' ezi tend to 'oints beneath the horizontal line in whichi'it efaxlfe B is located and said arms are provided with perforations 10 for the reception ofine nbers to be hereinafter tony set forth. 'While it" is un'essential in the construction of the spring sections X that niore than the laminations of said spring 1 sections be curved atlt he inner endsof the,

sections, [as explained, the lamination, 11 J next adjacent to the laminationh'finay be".

similarly curved, ano I haveso illustratedit 1n the drawingsand I will, Without limiting myself to. the curvature of more than one lamination, refer to each spring section c having both the laininations 5'and'l l foiirvecl 1 at the inner, ends of thespring sectional The curved inner end portions' ofthe lam-f l whereby the two spring sectionslXare fitted to cachother in a manner to provide for the 1 p ssage'fof a pivot bolt throu inations 5 and 11m provided'withears l9 pivotally' connect the sections.

. 13 is a pivot 1t nounted hing-.111. This pivot bolt ishollo w and is fprovided tvith a pluralityof perforations l 14 through which lubricant delivered 'into the bolt may escape therefrom to lnbricaite the pivot bearing ofwhich the bolt is a part.

one end and from which l-ubricant' nay be supplied to the bolt. The pivot/bolt is prefi in the ears Blof the ear block 2 supportedby the axle of the} vehicle and which extends through the ears or the spring sections X, as seen most clearly i gh' the cars toy V 'erably surrounded by a sleeve 16 interposed i between the bolt and the cars of themain spring sections X to provide a bearing around the pivot bolt, but which maybe dis; "pens'ed \vithand theeaifs 0f the sections be to have bearing directly on the 7 To provide-cushioning resistance for. the 'niain spring sections X, I utilize between the y spring arins 7 of said sections afcoinpression V cushion spring ,devicethat serves to yieldset into the spring arms 7 and held there-' in by cap nuts 21. 22 is a recoil spring located within the compression cushion springs 17, and the outerends of which rest agalnst spring seat plates 23 that are carried by U-shaped draw rods 24 which are united at their outer ends to connecting rods 25 that extend through the adjustable spring seat screws 19 and have washers 26 and nuts 25 applied to their outer ends, the washers being arranged against the outer ends of the spring seat screws, as clearly seen in Fig. I.

While I have described herein the compression cushion springs and recoil springs 22 and theparts by which these springs are held in association with the spring arms 7 of the main springs X, I desire it understood that I make no claim herein for such specific arrangement of these parts per se, inasmuch as they are included in a separate application for patent filed by me May 7, 1908, Serial Number 431,344.

In the practical use of my shock absorber, the main springs X act as supports or bearers for the frame of a vehicle, in which the shock absorber 4 is incorporated, and act under normal conditions in conjunction with the parts cooperable therewith to yieldingly support the load imposed thereon. In the event, however, of the running gear of the vehicle being subjected to a shock due to one or more of the ground wheels of the vehicle striking an obstruction or moving into a depression in the roadway, the outer portions or arms of'the main springs move downwardly to such degree as to causethe spring arms 7 of said springs to approach each other, with a result of compressing the cushion springs 17 and causing them to resist the descending movements of the main springs with cushioning action. Then, as the main springs againmove upwardly, the rebound thereof is yieldingly resisted-by the recoil springs 22, this arrangement providing for an-easy movement of the main springs and the load carried thereby durin either clownward or upward movements 0 said springs. In the operation of the main springs, the cushion springs ahd the recoil springs, and the spring arms 7, assist materially in minimizing the transmission of shocks to the body of the Vehicle, for the reason that these the main springs are supported, there isopportunity afforded for the axles swinging in arcs of circles beneath the sprin "s when the wheels fitted to the axles strike 0 structions or move into depressions in a roadway. When movements of the axle of this nature take place, the axle, or parts carried thereby, move suddenly into contact with the main springs with resultant shocks that will be obvious. To prevent shocks due to the movements of the axles, I utilize a cushioning device that serves to control the swinging movement of the vehicle axles under the conditions referred to. This cushioning device colnprises the following arts: 27 designates a bolt that extends vertlcally through an aperture m in one of the main springs X, near the inner or pivoted end of said main spring, and the head of which rests upon the upper surface of said spring. The bolt 27 extends downwardly and through the ear block 2, and the seat member 1 carried by the axle and is provided at its lower end with a nut 28. Interposed between the underside of the seat member 1 and the nut 28 upon the bolt 27 is a lower cushion spring 29. Beneath the lower side of the main spring and surrounding the bolt 27 is an upper cushion spring 30, the lower'end of which is shown in Fig. I as resting upon the seat member 1, but which may, if desired, rest upon the ear block 2.

When swinging movement of the axle in either direction takes place, one of the cushion springs 29 or 30, according to the direction in w iich the axle swings, acts to,yield ingly resist the movement of the axle, with the result of preventing it, or any part carried thereby, from striking against either of the main springs to cause shock by impact therewith.

I claim 1. The combination in a shock absorbing device,'of a pair of laminated main springs, one ofthe laminations of each main spring being bent at an angle to the body of the spring to provide a spring arm, and a cushioning spring interposed between the spring arms.

2. The combination in a shock absorbing device, of a pair of laminated main springs, one of the laminations'of each main being bent at an angle to the body of the spring and then backjwardly to the body of the spring to provide a spring arm, and a cushioning spring interposed between the spring arms.

3. The combination in a shock absorbing device, of a pair of laminated main springs,

spring ment of sai one of the laminations of each spring being bent at an angle to the body of the spring and then backwardly to the body of the spring to provide a spring arm, means for holding the terminal ends of the spring arms to the bodies of the'springs, and a cushion spring interposed between the spring arms.

4. In a shock absorber, the combination with an axle, of a spring device mounted transversely of and on a pivot parallel to said axle, and means for resisting the swing- 111g movementof said axle relative to said spring device. i

In a shock absorber, the combination with an axle, of a spring device mounted transversely of and on a pivot parallel to said axle, and means for yieldingly resistmg the swinging movement of said axle relative to said sprlng devlce.

6. In a shock absorber, the combination with an axle, of a pair of main springs mounted transversely of and on a ivot parallel to said axle, and means assoclated with one of said main springs and said axle for resisting the swinging movement of said axle relative to said springdevice.

7. In a shock absorber, the combination with an axle, of a pair of main springs mounted transversely of and on a pivot parallel to said axle, and means associated with one of said main springs and said axle for yieldingl resistin the swinging move- 7 axle re ative to said spring device.

8. In a shock absorber, the combination with an axle provided with a spring seat located aside from the axis of the axle, of a pair of main springs pivotally connected to said axle, and a cushioning device interposed between one of said main springs and the spring seat carried by said axle for resisting the swinging movement of the latter.

9. In a shock absorber, the combination with an axle, of a pair of main springs pivotally connected to said axle, a seat member carried by said axle, a vertical member extending through one of said main springs and said seat member, and a cushion sprin associated with said vertical member and bearing against said seat member.

10. In a shock absorber, the combination with an axle, of a pair of main springs pivotally connected to said axle, a seat member carried by said axle, a'vertical memberextending through one of said main springs and through said seat member, and cushion springs associated with said vertical member between said main spring and seat member and beneath said seat member.

11. In a shock absorber, the combination with an axle, of a pair of main springs, a hollow pivot bolt connecting the inner ends of said, main springs to said axle and having perforations in its wall, and an 011 cup tted to said pivot bolt.

H. G. Coox, E. B. LINN. 

